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Software · head to head

Articulate 360 vs Thinkific

Articulate 360 logo

Articulate 360

Software

The complete e-learning authoring solution

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Software

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Articulate 360 priced annually per user at $1,749 for Teams and $1,449 for Personal, with no monthly option shown; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Articulate 360 covers Storyline 360, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Articulate 360 and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Articulate 360 and Thinkific differ
AttributeArticulate 360Thinkific
Starting priceOn request$36/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Web (Rise)Web, Mobile
Founded20022012

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Articulate 360

  • Storyline 360
  • Rise 360
  • Content Library
  • Review 360
  • Screen recording
  • Characters
  • Templates
  • SCORM/xAPI

Only in Thinkific

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Quizzes
  • Certificates
  • Communities
  • Memberships
  • Marketing tools
  • Analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Articulate 360

  • Authoring e-learning courses with Storyline and Risenot Thinkific
  • Delivering training through the built-in LMSnot Thinkific
  • Review and approval cycles with subject matter expertsnot Thinkific
  • Exporting SCORM packages to an existing LMSnot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Articulate 360
  • Membership sitesnot Articulate 360
  • Coaching programsnot Articulate 360
  • Corporate trainingnot Articulate 360

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Articulate 360

  • Priced annually per user at $1,749 for Teams and $1,449 for Personal, with no monthly option shown
  • The built-in LMS covers up to 300 active learners; larger audiences need the Reach Pro add-on
  • Learner analytics, API integrations and localisation are all paid add-ons
  • Collaboration features, including co-authoring and shared folders, require the Teams plan

Thinkific

  • No free plan, 14-day trial only
  • Transaction fees on third-party payment processors (5% on Basic tier)
  • PayPal only available on Grow plan ($199/month), not on Basic or Start
  • Limited customization on lower-tier plans
  • Cannot embed courses in external domains or iframes
  • Limited number of spaces per plan
  • Less interactive community features compared to alternatives
  • Features continuously moved to higher-priced tiers
  • Payment processing delays reported (up to 90 days)

Pricing, plan by plan

Articulate 360

On request
  • Personal$1399/month
    • Storyline 360
    • Rise 360
    • Content Library
  • Teams$1599/month
    • All Personal
    • Team collaboration
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Volume licensing
    • SSO
    • Custom onboarding

Thinkific

$36/month
  • Basic$36/month
    • 1 course
    • Up to 500 students
    • Thinkific Payments (0% fees)
  • Start$74/month
    • Up to 3 courses
    • Up to 2,000 students
    • Third-party payment (3% fees)
  • Grow$149/month
    • Unlimited courses
    • Unlimited students
    • Third-party payment (0% fees)

Which should you pick?

Choose Articulate 360 if

  • You need storyline 360.
  • You work on Windows, Web (Rise).
  • You also want rise 360.
Articulate 360 review

Choose Thinkific if

  • You need course builder.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want website builder.
Thinkific review

Questions people ask

Is Articulate 360 or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Articulate 360 starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Articulate 360 or Thinkific?
Articulate 360 starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does Articulate 360 or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Articulate 360 runs on Windows, Web (Rise). Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
What is Articulate 360 best used for?
Articulate 360 is most often used for authoring e-learning courses with storyline and rise, delivering training through the built-in lms, review and approval cycles with subject matter experts, exporting scorm packages to an existing lms. Of those, authoring e-learning courses with storyline and rise and delivering training through the built-in lms are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Articulate 360 do that Thinkific cannot?
Articulate 360 covers Storyline 360, Rise 360, Content Library, Review 360. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Thinkific: Does Thinkific have a free plan?

No. Thinkific does not offer a free plan but provides a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $36/month (Basic tier).

Source
Thinkific: Are there transaction fees on Thinkific?

Thinkific charges no transaction fees when using their built-in Thinkific Payments. Third-party payment processors incur 5% fees (Basic) down to 0% (Plus), plus 3.6% for Stripe with subscriptions.

Source
Thinkific: What payment methods does Thinkific support?

PayPal is locked to Grow plan ($199/month). Basic and Start plans do not support PayPal, limiting payment options for international creators and potentially reducing conversions.

Source
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Related pages

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